Jet cleaning devices are used to remove materials from surfaces either in preparation for the application of a coating or as part of routine maintenance. These devices are often used to remove coatings such as paints, primers, and varnishes from common substrate materials such as steel, aluminum or concrete. There are numerous well known applications for jet cleaning devices in the manufacture and maintenance of aircraft, automobiles, ships, pipes, buildings, bridges, storage tanks, structures, etc.
In general, jet cleaning devices are comprised of one or more pumps which supply a jet of liquid, generally water, at high pressure, to the surface to be cleaned. The high pressure liquid is directed at the surface to be cleaned through one or more nozzle devices which produce a jet or jets which are guided along the surface to be cleaned. In the prior art, the jet producing device is generally mounted to, or part of, a hand held device such as a jetting gun or lance. In some cases, multiple nozzle devices are rotated by the force of the jet stream or by a drive assembly in order to clean a larger surface area than would be cleaned by a single jet stream. The weight and/or thrust produced by larger rotational multiple nozzle devices prevents utilization in a hand held format.
The efficiencies of the prior art devices are dependent upon several well known factors. In order to obtain optimum cleaning or coatings removal efficiencies, the distance from the jet producing nozzle(s) to the surface to be cleaned (known as stand-off distance) must be closely controlled. Also, in order to obtain optimum cleaning or coatings removal efficiencies, the speed at which the jet producing nozzles are guided along the surface to be cleaned (known as nozzle pass rate) must be closely controlled. The prior art devices are limited in their ability to control the standoff distance and the rate at which the jet producing nozzles are moved along the surface to be cleaned.